Bottom line on shutdown--we pay for the temper tantrums of a few

We're all angry members of Congress refused to do their jobs because they cannot get their own way and make demands on the majority of the other members. The minority don't care what they are doing to us, and frankly, they don't seem to care about anyone but themselves.

The bottom line on shutdown--we pay for the temper tantrums of a few!

Our troops won't be paid!

WASHINGTON —Military officials prepared Friday to cut pay for troops and civilians, and close offices and activities deemed not essential to national security as the deadline nears for the government shutdown that is expected to begin at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.

Troops will remain deployed to hotspots around the world, and civilians in critical chair-borne commands at the Pentagon and elsewhere will remain on job. But none will be paid unless an agreement on government spending or legislation authorizing military pay is reached.

President Joe Biden said Friday that the failure to pay troops would be a “disgrace.”

“We can’t be playing politics while our troops stand in the breach,” Biden said at the retirement ceremony for Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (USA Today)

Social Security and Medicare won't stop. 

Social Security is considered a mandatory program, and it isn't funded by the shorter-term appropriations bills passed by Congress and signed by the president. That means its operations and funding don't stop when the government shuts down.

That's important for a large proportion of Americans, as about 67 million people receive monthly Social Security benefits, according to the Social Security Administration. Those benefits go primarily to retirees but also to people with disabilities, as well as dependents of deceased beneficiaries.

Medicare and Veterans Affairs benefits also continue to be distributed during a shutdown. (NBC News)

Veteran health care is not impacted. VA Medical Centers, Outpatient Clinics, and Vet Centers will be open.
VA benefits will continue to be processed and delivered, including compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits.
Burials will continue at VA national cemeteries. Applications for headstones, markers, and burial benefits processing will continue.
The Board of Veterans’ Appeals will continue decisions on Veterans' cases.
VA Contact Centers (1-800-MyVA411) and the Veterans Crisis Line (Dial 988, Press 1) are open 24/7.

VA will not provide Veteran career counseling or transition assistance program activities.
The GI Bill Hotline will be closed.
VA benefits regional offices will be closed.
VA will cease public affairs and outreach to Veterans.
VA will not permanently place headstones or maintain the grounds at VA national cemeteries.
VA will not process applications for pre-need burials.
VA will not print new presidential memorial certificates.

For the rest of the services you receive, contact the provider. We have a home health aide who is a private contractor and she won't be paid, so we won't have her for however long this lasts. 

Seniors, veterans and troops, games and empty words to GOP House Members

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 27, 2023

"This is what gets us in the game" is what North Dakota Rep. Kelly Armstrong had to say about the House Debt Ceiling budget they just passed with 217 Republicans approving of it.

“This is what gets us in the game,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota. “This is the first conversation. The next conversation is what comes next and we know that and this is part of negotiation. We know we don’t control all three. We don’t control the White House and the Senate but this gets us where we need to start.” (CNN)

According to his website Veterans, military and seniors are not even worth mentioning on his priorities but abortion tops the to-do list for him.

The fact that the debt was the result of what has already been spent. You may have heard that no matter how appalling the Democrats found the GOP priorities, like tax cuts for the rich, they passed a clean bill to raise the Debt Ceiling. The GOP has decided to treat it like a game. They want to make all the rules the rest of the country has to live with, or they are willing to crash the country.

Can this be the worst example of their depravity? It is not just the view this is all some sort of game. It is in the details of what all this includes.

In short, Speaker McCarthy’s plan to raise the debt ceiling would cut the VA’s budget by 22% next fiscal year, Young said. That would force the Veterans Health Administration to eliminate 81,000 jobs, meaning that veterans would be unable to make appointments for wellness visits, cancer screenings, mental health services, substance abuse disorder treatment, and other healthcare services, according to Young. These cuts would translate into 30 million fewer veteran outpatient visits.

The VA would face major budget cuts under the GOP’s debt ceiling plan (Task and Purpose) The VA has also issued a statement saying that cutting the department’s budget by 22% would limit the VA’s ability to provide telehealth services by reducing funding for the necessary information technology and support.

Speaker McCarthy’s proposal to raise the debt ceiling would also force the Veterans Benefits Administration to cut its staff by more than 6,000 people, and that would worsen the wait time for benefits by adding an estimated 134,000 claims to the disability claims backlog, the VA’s statement says.

These cuts to the Veterans Benefits Administration would come at a time when the VA is already seeing an increase in disability claims filed due to the passage of the PACT Act, which expands healthcare to veterans suffering from cancer and other ailments as a result of being exposed to toxic substances from burn pits and other sources along with Vietnam Veterans who are sick because they were exposed to Agent Orange, said Carrie Farmer, of the RAND Corporation.

Social Security and Medicare had been targeted along with everything else in this "game" but have been spared.

Discretionary spending includes things like weapons programs, servicemember pay, grants for schools that serve large shares of low-income students, rental assistance to house millions of poor and disabled, and money to fund research on cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It’s the spending that Congress approves through appropriations bills.

The House GOP bill doesn’t affect spending on Social Security and Medicare. Such spending, referred to as mandatory, accounts for about two-thirds of all federal spending. (AP)

Can you imagine any politician proud of the fact they wanted to cut them? They were! Just as they are proud of cutting the military spending for the sake of the troops right after they heard the troops with families cannot afford to pay rent!

"We have to use a moment like that to do things that the administration wouldn't otherwise do, the Democrats don't support," Banks said. He said spending caps, balanced budgets and cutting wasteful discretionary spending have to be on the table. (CBS News)

This is from Rep. Jim Banks during a sub-committee meeting and what he had to say when the cameras were focused on him, yet, he voted for the cuts!

You have reduced your end strength requests below the 2023 authorized numbers. So, you must ask yourselves why, and I ask what are you doing about it. What are you doing to ensure that you have the required end strength to fulfill this mission -- the mission requirements around the world, let alone issues like service members' food insecurity, identified by you to affect 25 percent of the force.

That is unacceptable. So, what are you doing about it? So, today we want to focus on what concrete actions are you taking to address all the problems that you face, whether it's recruiting, pay and benefits, food security, retaining talent, family issues, or the elimination of unnecessary bureaucracy. And we don't want more of the same.

Back to Kelly Armstrong and what he said when veterans were paying attention to what he said, his words are nothing but a bunch of words with no deeds to prove he values them!

Armstrong Presents Vietnam Veteran with Long Overdue Military Awards (Press Release)
November 10, 2021

Wahpeton, N.D. – Today, Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) presented Vietnam Veteran Al Collins of Wahpeton with nine military awards he earned while serving in the U.S. Navy. Collins was honorably discharged in 1971, but he did not receive the awards due to him until 50 years later.

"As a nation, we owe an immense amount of gratitude to the men and women who have served in our armed forces," said Congressman Armstrong. "Al Collins is an American hero who enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 19 and was deployed to fight in the Vietnam War. I am honored to finally present these awards to him that he earned more than 50 years ago while defending the freedoms and liberties we enjoy in the United States."

"I was surprised to hear that I would receive these awards. It feels really good, and I am honored to receive this recognition. I appreciate Congressman Armstrong and North Dakota Veterans Affairs helping me finally receive them," said Vietnam Veteran Al Collins.

"North Dakota is lucky to be home to great veterans like Alfred Collins. It is humbling to know the great sacrifices he has made for his country although it is unfortunate they have gone unrecognized for so long it is great that his family is able to share this moment with him. Thank you to Mary Vetter and Congressman Armstrong for all their efforts to make this happen," said ND Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Lonnie Wangen.

We either choose to act out of evil or to act out of love

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 11, 2023

There comes a time when all of us need to open our eyes so we can see what causes us to believe what we do. That time should come as soon as we are no longer children. We either choose to act out of evil or to act out of love. 

Today I see far too much evil being supported by people I know. I refuse to believe they are evil. I believe they have simply closed their eyes. I do believe that the NRA has been operating for evil purposes, putting profits and power over everything, and everyone else. While they inflict fear into the minds of gun owners that their rights will be taken away, the rest of the people in this country are inflicted with fear that no matter where we go, no place is safe. 

Discover more at Books2Read 

Some friends of mine are turning against all gun owners, even though most of the owners want limits on who should have the right to have them. They wonder why responsible, law-abiding citizens do not stand up and demand members of Congress do something to stop the slaughter of kids going to school, people going to work, and in the community after community feeling as if they cannot even attend events or even houses of worship.

I believe the goodness within gun owners lives within their souls. They just don't know what to do to use the power they have for the sake of what is right.

So far this year, there have been 11,630 deaths by guns. 6,666 of them were suicides. Another 8,895 were injured. There were 146 mass shootings and 14 mass murders. 71 children below the age of 12 are gone and 404 children from 12-17 are gone. You can read more grim facts from Gun Violence Archive.

While we cannot prevent all gun deaths, as long as there are guns, we can reduce the ability to murder as many as possible, as fast as possible.

Kids are supposed to listen to their teachers. They are supposed to be listening to their parents. They are supposed to be listening to their friends. They are not supposed to have to listen to something like this in far too many cases it is the last sound they hear.

How many kids will spend the rest of their lives with #PTSD because of what could have, and should have been prevented, when we can't even manage to take care of adults now?

While non-gun owners no longer feel safe, a lot of gun owners don't feel safe either but they have been convinced that their only solution is to arm themselves. After all, the NRA stops Congress from taking action, and that fear increases gun sales. Having more people with more guns increases gun sales. Causing the thought of fear the owners will have their guns taken away, increasing gun sales, and even more, money going to the NRA so they can support politicians who will serve them.

"We also have a responsibility to help keep our families and communities safe. Right now, we’re facing a real crisis in America: too many are losing their lives or loved ones to gun violence. But the vast majority of gun owners agree that there are responsible measures we can take to save lives." Gilford's

The 13th Minister Of Salem is about being unwilling to accept the premise that gun owners are all evil. The problem is when evil people get guns to slaughter others because good ones do nothing. A man, who at one time was a good preacher, decided to kill Chris for speaking the truth.  So why was his mind fixed on that instead of leaving it up to God to handle? Why would he be so willing to support a liar, a thief, and a child rapist, that he was willing to kill for him? I wonder why so many good people are willing to support those that do not value life enough to make sure evil people are not able to get their hands on weapons intended to slaughter?

Chris was struggling with writing his new book about kids and gun violence when he was shot because he was hated for doing what he was created to do with love and compassion. He wanted to give hope to others because he knew what it was like to lose all hope until others gave him back more hope than he ever dared to dream of.

Chris's battles were growing. He was learning the hard way to be careful about what he wished for. He became so famous that he had to hire security just to go out in public. After taking down Haman Cain, he was getting death threats from his cult. He hated the fame his books brought him, as much as he hated the changes coming non-stop. The series from his first book, making wedding plans were only the beginning of his torment. He was shot and feared he'd never be able to use his hand again.

Master Ministers were on high alert and ready to battle the dark forces gathering to destroy Chris. The book forces of darkness feared most of all was in his hands.

The worst came when he received a Master Minister of the Mystery warning. "Dark forces are already at work writing your wedding dirge. Your assailant has been chosen but so has your avenger."

That is how the 13th Minister Of Salem begins. It is the 3rd book in the Ministers Of The Mystery series. I wrote them because I am damn tired. Tired of hearing people claim to be Christians when there is nothing they do that proves they follow Jesus. They lie, support, and cover up for other liars. They claim their faith is being challenged because others do not want to have their own faiths controlled by them. They quote scriptures from the Old Testament while avoiding the New Testament which is all about the life and teachings of Jesus. I came to expect no less from the quasi-Christians regarding the Bible as a deli menu, so they can pick and choose what they want to digest while avoiding anything that would leave a bad taste in their mouths.

When they seek to control what others do in their personal lives, that is not what Jesus taught. Screaming and supporting reprehensible people, calling themselves pro-life does not prove they are Christian. It proves they are pro-birth and want the power to control it by taking away the rights of others. Once a birth happens, they have nothing to actually do themselves, other than pat themselves on the back.

The Ministers Of The Mystery series is based on scriptures they ignore because they do not fit into their narrow view of what Jesus taught. Most of the time with the way things have been, I kept thinking about the Salem Witchcraft Trials and how it was caused by pure hatred among those who claimed to be Christian against innocent people. The thing is, Jesus warned all of us that what they say does not prove what they believe. It is what they do that proves it. 

When lawmakers defend guns above the targets of mass murderers, it proves what they are. When they blame people with mental illness, that does not make someone a mass murderer or evil, yet have no problem with letting them get weapons to kill as many as possible, as fast as possible, it proves what they are.

So much has been accepted because people fail to prove what it is they value and love.  So what is it you really value? Are you willing to risk your own children by sending them to school when it could happen to them? Are you willing to risk the lives of your family going anywhere in public? I've heard some say that they want guns to protect themselves. What good is your handgun when you are face-to-face with a murderer with an AR-15 and in full body armor? What good does it do to have a gun at home when your child is in school?

Why is Congress willing to sacrifice kids for the NRA?

Can someone please inform Congress that when kids fill school bags in the morning, they shouldn't leave school in a body bag?

You would think they'd already understand this, but they don't. 

They focus on books they do not want kids to read, but not on the bullets that end their lives.

They focus on drag shows because they think it is morally wrong, but not the weapons of mass murder.

They focus on the unborn because they are pro-life, but do not want to protect the lives of kids already here.

This is Easter Sunday and we are supposed to appreciate the life of Jesus willing to sacrifice His life for the sake of everyone. Why are members of Congress willing to sacrifice the lives of kids for the sake of the NRA?

They keep offering "thoughts and prayers" and some say taking God and prayer out of school is the problem. What is their excuse when a Christian school was the latest place where three adults and three children didn't make it home?

GOP Rep. Burchett said, "You can't legislate evil," with serious face?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 29, 2023

Tennessee congressman says Washington is ‘not going to fix’ school shootings NBC News 

A politician said, "You can't legislate evil." Apparently, he does not understand that is exactly what people are elected to do. If it was not their job, then they wouldn't have a job.

"As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states."

The fact that there are courts to hold people accountable under the laws they have legislated and punishment under the laws they legislated, seems to have evaporated when they are asked to do something to stop schools from being turned into slaughterhouses. Parents shouldn't have to worry about their kids coming home alive at the end of their classes. Their classes shouldn't have to include active shooter training because legislators refuse to do a damn thing to protect children!

They want to claim that evil people do the shootings. That mentally ill people are the ones using the weapons created to slaughter as many as they can as fast as they can. Why is no one asking them why they feel the need to legislate the ability of the evil and mentally ill to get more guns then? Why would it make sense to them to arm those they point their fingers at?

There would be no prisons if they couldn't legislate evil. There would be no need for law enforcement if the legislators did not legislate and fund them. There would be no lawyers holding the accused people accountable and defending those charged with the crimes that were legislated.

These same people claim to be religious, however, their actions cause them to fail the bite test.

Unraveling the Forbidden Fruit Apple Motif In the next chapter of Genesis in the Old Testament, this stanza describes the temptation of Adam and Eve: "When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.” These two sentences have been used since they were first written down as a metaphorical reference to any indulgence or pleasure that the dogmas of religion deem illegal or immoral. The Hebrew word used for fruit here is “peri,” a generic term referring to the fruit hanging from the Tree of Knowledge. And they are still heavily referenced today in conversations, novels, and films. Modern scholars and historians believe that a bastardization and possible misinterpretation of Latin might answer the question, “Why the Apple?” The Latin word mălum signifies “ evil,” while the Latin word mālum, from the Greek μῆλον, means “apple.”

Watch the video for yourself and hear what Rep. Burchett said about not being able to legislate guns. He said, "You can't legislate evil." They seem to act that way when it comes to guns but not when it comes to everything else, like the personal freedom of parents to raise their kids as they see fit. The personal freedom to decide the moral code they want to live by. They seek to legislate every day on what matters to them, what will give them the most support/donations from their supporters, but not when it comes to doing anything for the sake of what this country was supposed to stand for.

Congress needs to stop appeasing and start atonement

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 16, 2023

It started as a spiritual battle to give hope of healing to a man so he could pass it on to the world. That was what The Scribe Of Salem was all about. Each one of the people had their own struggles until someone came into their lives to help them heal spiritually. Each of them had given up on the hope they would find the answers in a church. The truth is, far too many churches in this country are far from what Christ preached. We may dismiss all this by saying "to each their own" referring to choices, but that created our blindness to what is going on in this country.

13th Minister Of Salem

By the 3rd book, 13th Minister Of Salem, they realize the battle is far from over. Too many have used faith as a political weapon to destroy those with different beliefs. None of this is new. It happened throughout history all over the world. It happened in this country when people hid behind the church to seek retribution and retaliate against anyone they hated. The Salem Witchcraft Trials were not because the leaders actually believed the accused were witches and wizards. They only used what they caused the people to believe was true. They made use of what was done in Scotland, England, and other countries, paying people to hunt down the accused, and torture them into confessions that were only said to end the torture while knowing it would also result in their deaths.

The Salem Witch Trials were a continuation of the abuse of faith. Men and women did horrible things to innocent people and blamed God for all the terrible things they did.

"As years passed, apologies were offered, and restitution was made to some of victims and their families. In 1697, the Massachusetts General Court ordered a day of fasting and prayer in atonement for errors made by the colony, including the witchcraft trials. On this day one judge, Samuel Sewall, and 12 jurors, came forward to apologize for their roles in the Salem witch trials. The other magistrates never admitted there had been a miscarriage of justice, going to their graves believing they did what was best for the colony." (Salem Witch Museum)

The question is, did they apologize because they saw themselves for what they became, or did they do it because they carried so much guilt that every calamity became viewed as God's judgment against them?

On the morning of December 25—no holiday for the Puritans—Sewall buried his little daughter Sarah. That afternoon he sat in the family tomb and contemplated the coffins of his mother, father, cousin, and six dead children. In these gloomy surroundings he must have meditated on the Bible verses his son had read the previous day, especially Matthew 12:7 (“And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless”), which “did awfully bring to mind the Salem Tragedie.” Over the next three weeks Sewall prayed fervently for help, and by the time of the appointed fast day, he knew what he had to do. (American Heritage)

Let the words "and  if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would have not condemned the gutless." (Matthew 12:7)

By most accounts, the trials played a major role in the 1st Amendment.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

We are all supposed to have our rights protected equally, no matter what faith we choose as well as the freedom to not participate in any form of religious affiliation. Some want to blame others for trying to take away their rights simply because they do not agree with them, while no one is trying to stop them from believing what they choose. The truth is, those screaming the loudest about are the ones trying to empower their faith to rule over everyone else. Not much different than what happened during the witch trials. Is it?

This is why no member of Congress, no court, and no law enforcement agency should assume the power to prevent citizens from making their own choices. There are plenty of choices for all of us. There are many different faiths, and even within Christianity for us to decide for ourselves. I choose the spiritual path and practice it daily and devotedly. I judge no one for what they believe because I can only judge what they do.

To me, it is less reprehensible for someone to be selfish, evil, power-hungry, and lie about it than it is for someone to claim to be a follower of Jesus while condemning others and spewing contempt for the Son of God they claim to follow and all He taught.

When we allow politicians to make laws because of what they claim they believe, we are no longer free to make our own choices. When we allow our rights to be eroded one by one, we are no longer the country we were meant to be.

The freedom to choose for ourselves what is right for our own families is being taken away from us. It is no longer our decision to raise our children with love and acceptance of their uniqueness. It is no longer acceptable for us, or anyone else, to value the souls of others above the bodies those souls live in. When I hear someone claim to be "pro-life" referring to the unborn, yet they support everything else that destroys the living, they become liars, proving they are pro-birth. Many different faiths in this country believe it is the living, those born with the soul from God within them, that should matter more. 

They condemn people for being "woke" when in fact they want to simply rectify the harm done to others because of the color of their skin. They condemn those who were born into a biological body that does not reflect who they are inside that body. It no longer matters to the "judges" if they are good, loving people treating others with respect and kindness, when they can turn around seeking the power to control them out of hatred.

Politicians use faith like a weapon and then when they cannot find support for their deeds among voters, they seek to remove the ability to vote against them.

Maybe it is time for Congress to have "a day of fasting and prayer in atonement for errors," made by Congress and all leaders in every state who have forgotten they are supposed to be representing all their citizens and not just the ones they seek to appease by abusing the power they were given. 

DOD wants to limit gun purchases for troops

This is the headline on Military Times. "Keeping firearms out of easy reach key to preventing military suicides"

Among the findings in the research was this,

Firearms are used in 66% of suicides among active duty troops, 72% among reservists, and 78% in the National Guard, according to the commission’s report, whereas guns are employed in roughly half of suicides in the U.S. overall.

And then this was added.

“Often ... someone found out that a service member had purchased or acquired a firearm, often on base at a military exchange ... only after they had used it to kill themselves,” said Craig Bryan, an Air Force veteran and clinical psychologist at Ohio State University, in a briefing Friday. “This was a common refrain in our site visits, that military personnel wanted to encourage a culture of secure firearm storage, and also to reduce convenient access to firearm acquisition, especially for those who are in acutely elevated distress.”

The commission recommended standardizing purchasing rules across the Defense Department, whereas current policies tend to mirror local and state laws. Recommendations included raising the purchase age to 25 on bases, in addition to imposing a seven-day waiting period to purchase a gun, another four-day waiting period to purchase ammunition and a requirement to register all privately owned firearms stored in base housing.

The question is, why is this only being applied to members of the military? Think about it. They are trained to use weapons to defend the nation. They are screened for mental health. They are trained in suicide prevention. They are willing to lay down their lives for those they serve side-by-side with, and yet, they continue to commit suicide. The military wants to raise the age they can purchase guns to 25 for personal use. Where does this leave the rest of the population when half of the suicides civilians commit, including veterans in those numbers? 

It leaves us on our own because another part of our government is not interested in doing a damn thing about any of us. While it is true that guns are used to commit suicide more often than other means, this also makes it crystal clear that most of what the military is doing in suicide prevention has failed. 

The troops are dying waiting for solutions. Veterans are dying waiting for solutions. The American people are dying waiting for solutions. When will they wake up and when will those we elected to Congress actually do something that will prove all of our lives matter? 

SCOTUS: Veterans can't get retroactive benefits if they miss window

This article is only part of the story. The thing is, it has always been this way. Ask any veteran before reporters started to zero in on Afghanistan and Iraq veterans, and most had no clue what the hell came back with them from war.

I've been involved in this for 40 years and can tell you most of them had no clue what it was, what name it was called, or understood that waiting to "get over it" was the wrong idea. All they knew was how they changed from the person they were before they went into whatever war they fought. (Hell, most of us had no clue just living as survivors of what civilian life can do to us.)

I don't have a problem with the decision the Supreme Court made regarding a veteran trying to get compensation for #PTSD going back to the Gulf War. While that may shock some of you, the thing is, it has always been this way. I have more of a problem that our country forces the veteran to figure out what their service did to them within a year, instead of being proactive for the sake of the veteran.

The veteran had all the obligations to file claims and appeals on time but the VA doesn't seem to have the same obligation. If you are a veteran, do not fight them on your own. Their rules are rules for all veterans. The thing is, you don't have to fight them on your own. Turn to the DAV, VFW, or any of the other groups out there claiming they help with claims. Turn to your member of the House or Senate because they are supposed to have staff able to help veterans. 

Keep in mind,  you didn't fight the war alone and should have to fight this one alone now! Call in reinforcements!

Supreme Court is unusually late with first opinion of term

The Hill
BY ZACH SCHONFELD
01/23/23

The nine justices sided with the government’s position that veterans can’t receive retroactive disability benefits if they miss a one-year application window.

The Supreme Court handed down its first opinion of the term on Monday, ruling that a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not eligible for retroactive disability benefits after he missed a statutory window.

The ruling in some ways marked a return to normal, with the justices resuming the pre-pandemic tradition of announcing opinions live from the bench.

The case involved Adolfo Arellano, a U.S. Navy veteran who suffers from PTSD linked to trauma from his deployment to the Persian Gulf during the Iranian hostage crisis.

Although he missed the window to receive disability benefits retroactive to his discharge date, Arellano argued that the law is subject to equitable tolling, a doctrine that allows for extensions in extraordinary circumstances. Arellano’s attorneys argued he couldn’t meet the deadline because of his mental condition.

The justices ruled that Congress specifically provided that courts should not grant those types of extensions for the provision.
read more here

Will GOP crash debt ceiling on our heads?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 17, 2023

So, once again the folks that were elected, don't seem to remember the people that voted for them. If they did, if they really cared, they wouldn't be focusing on everything we don't want and threatening what we need.

They are ready to crash the country because they are acting as if they have no obligation to us at all! Do you know what happens if they play games and refuse to pay the bills they already committed to? Well, if you don't, I remember it and it was torture. Veterans were not being able to get into the VA for appointments and worried about their disability checks not coming, along with medicine. Seniors were worried about everything!

This happened before.

The government also shut down for four days in January 2018, and the US experienced the longest-ever shutdown of 35 days between December 22nd, 2018 to January 25th, 2019. This came as a result of an impasse over President Donald Trump’s proposed spending package for the US-Mexico border wall. Forbes

I don't know who you voted for or why. What I do know is that the GOP members of the House don't seem to remember all the things they promised you they would focus on. You know, the things you need as they reminded you of how terrible your life was. I don't recall them warning you they were willing to make it a lot worse. If they cannot come up with a bill to raise the debt ceiling to cover the money they already spent, your life and mine are going to suck big time!

It isn't bad enough they've already said they plan on cutting social security and medicare. They forgot that we paid for the benefits we are getting but they want to play games, not just with the money they owe us, but with our lives.

Read this from CBS News

What is the debt limit?

The debt limit, which is set by Congress, represents the maximum amount the federal government is allowed to borrow to pay its debts.

If the amount of government debt reaches that threshold and doesn't lift the ceiling, the U.S. would be unable to pay what it owes and could default.

It's important to note that when Congress raises or suspends the debt ceiling, it isn't greenlighting new spending. Instead, it is giving the go-ahead for the Treasury to pay for spending that has already been approved.

Has the debt limit been raised before?

Yes. Since 1960, Congress has acted 78 times to raise, temporarily extend, or revise the definition of the debt limit, according to Treasury.

Of those, the debt limit was tweaked 49 times under Republican presidents and 29 times under Democratic administrations, Treasury said.

The last time the debt ceiling was lifted was in December 2021, when Democrats controlled both the House and Senate.

Are you willing to let them keep playing games with us? Are you willing to let them get away with treating all of us as if we don't matter now they have the power their voters gave them? Are you willing to suffer for their sake? This is what their plans are.

What can you do about it? Let them know exactly what you think. Call your GOP member and let them know that you are holding them accountable for what they refuse to do. If you are in a swing district and you have a level-headed congressman, tell them you'd support them becoming an Independent until the rest of their party comes to their senses. That way, McCarthy and his henchmen won't be able to get away with what they are trying to pull off. They won't have the majority anymore because they proved they don't deserve to have it. They owe us, not the other way around.

A civilian message to military members

Military suicides have become slightly less common, but are still a 'massive problem' American Homefront Project

By Steve Walsh
Published December 11, 2022

Though military suicide has been a problem for decades, critics say the Pentagon hasn’t come to terms with the fact that anyone can potentially be at risk.

More than 500 military personnel die by suicide each year, though the number dropped slightly last year. This summer a Pentagon Committee visited bases around the world including Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Naval Air Station North Island in California, Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the North Carolina National Guard, and Camp Humphreys in South Korea. The panel also visited three bases in Alaska, where there have been several suicides.

Despite the scrutiny, another four suicides took place in November at the Navy’s Regional Maintenance Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Earlier in the year, in nearby Newport News, seven suicides were reported on the USS George Washington.

After visiting the ship, Master Chief Russell Smith told Congress in May that he once struggled with suicidal thoughts. He also recounted a story of a colleague - a Navy SEAL - who died by suicide.

“Suicide is a massive problem for us, because it’s the one thing we can prevent absolutely by getting inside people’s headspace and connecting to them,” Smith said.
read more here

Now that you read that, read this.

I never served, but I survived. I never fought in a war, but I fought battles to heal. I've listened to veterans for 4 decades but one conversation still sticks out in my mind.

A veteran, tough as they come, took offense when he asked me about my service. I told him I didn't serve. He started shouting at me about how I had no clue what it was like for him. I told him he was right. Then I listed the things I survived, all ten of them. I asked him if he had a clue what any of that was like for me. He said he didn't. Then I asked him if he could understand what all of that did to me. He was silent for a while, and I heard him sniffle. He said he did.

I can't understand what WWII did to my uncles, or Korea did to my Dad, or Vietnam to my husband. I can understand what surviving did to them because I survived what I did.

If you can't understand how surviving anything changes you, then do some basic research on all the others that end up fighting a battle with the demon PTSD, and know, you are not alone. You are human and survived something most people will never know. Don't expect them to understand. Don't dismiss them when they may be able to help you, even though you did not have the same experience cause it.

National Center for PTSD

We are the world's leading research and educational center of excellence on PTSD and traumatic stress.

PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or traumatic event. If symptoms last more than a few months, it may be PTSD. The good news is that there are effective treatments.

Look over on the right for the dropdown menu. Read the lists of others that also fight their battles with PTSD. Then understand something. Most of the time, PTSD strikes after just one exposure. How many did you go through? 

Once you've learned more about #PTSD, consider something else. If you were willing to die to save someone else, are you willing to heal to save others too? If you share your healing with others, they will find the hope they can heal too and they are not alone. They will pass it on. Think of all the lives you'll be able to save by sharing your struggles with us, and we can do the same for those who serve this country. We may not all understand the cause but we can all speak the language of healing! Would be a great way to start the New Year!

President Biden Signs PACT Act For Veterans!

FACT SHEET: President Biden Signs the PACT Act and Delivers on His Promise to America’s Veterans

AUGUST 10, 2022

STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
PACT Act Marks Most Significant Expansion of VA Health Care in 30 Years

Today, President Biden is delivering on his promise to strengthen health care and benefits for America’s veterans and their survivors by signing the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. The PACT Act is the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years.

In his first State of the Union address, President Biden called on Congress to send a bill to his desk that would comprehensively address toxic exposures that have impacted veterans, as well as their families and caregivers, and provide them with the health care and benefits they have earned and deserve. Thanks to the bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate Veterans Committees, the PACT Act does just that.

President Biden believes that our nation has a sacred obligation to properly prepare and equip the troops we send into harm’s way – and to care for them and their families when they return home. Sometimes military service can result in increased health risks for our veterans, and some injuries and illnesses like asthma, cancer, and others can take years to manifest. These realities can make it difficult for veterans to establish a direct connection between their service and disabilities resulting from military environmental exposures such as burn pits – a necessary step to ensure they receive the health care they earned.

President Biden made clear that supporting those who wear the uniform is a commitment that unites all Americans – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – and why he made supporting our veterans a core element of his Unity Agenda. And, the legislation supports President Biden’s reignited Cancer Moonshot to help end cancer as we know it.

By signing the bipartisan PACT Act, President Biden is delivering for America’s veterans and their families, and demonstrating that we can – and will – come together where we agree to get big things done for our country. 

The PACT Act: Delivering Critical Health Care and Other Benefits for Veterans
Named in honor of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, a decorated combat medic who died from a rare form of lung cancer, this historic legislation will help deliver more timely benefits and services to more than 5 million veterans—across all generations—who may have been impacted by toxic exposures while serving our country. Danielle Robinson, the widow of Sergeant First Class Robinson, was a guest of the First Lady at President Biden’s first State of the Union address when he called on Congress to pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposures – like her husband – finally get the health care and benefits they deserve.

The PACT Act will:

To ensure veterans can receive high-quality health care screenings and services related to potential toxic exposures, the PACT Act expands access to VA health care services for veterans exposed during their military service. For post-9/11 combat veterans, the bill extends the period of time they have to enroll in VA health care from five to ten years post-discharge. For those combat veterans who do not fall within that window, the bill also creates a one-year open enrollment period. These expansions mean that more veterans can enroll in VA health care without having to demonstrate a service connected disability.
The PACT Act codifies VA’s new process for evaluating and determining presumption of exposure and service connection for various chronic conditions when the evidence of a military environmental exposure and the associated health risks are strong in the aggregate but hard to prove on an individual basis. PACT requires VA to seek independent evaluation of this process as well as external input on the conditions it will review using this framework. The new process is evidence-based, transparent, and allows VA to make faster policy decisions on crucial exposure issues. This new process has already fundamentally changed how VA makes decisions on environmental exposures and ensures more veterans have access to the care they need.
The legislation removes the need for certain veterans and their survivors to prove service connection if they are diagnosed with one of 23 specific conditions. This greatly reduces the amount of paperwork and need for exams that veterans diagnosed with one of these conditions must complete before being granted access to health care and disability compensation, thereby speeding up their receipt of the benefits they have earned. This list includes 11 respiratory related conditions, along with several forms of cancer, including reproductive cancers, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, and brain cancers such as glioblastoma. Survivors of veterans who died due to one of these conditions may now also be eligible for benefits.
To better understand the impact of toxic exposures, the PACT Act requires VA to conduct new studies of veterans who served in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War and analyses of post-9/11 veterans’ health trends. The new law also directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to convene a new interagency working group to develop a five-year strategic plan on toxic exposure research.
Ensuring veterans get the care they need includes ensuring that they are screened for toxic exposure and that VA personnel have the appropriate education and training. The PACT Act requires that veterans enrolled in VA health care be screened regularly for toxic exposure related concerns. This new law also requires VA to establish an outreach program for veterans regarding toxic exposure related benefits and supports, and to require additional toxic exposure related education and training for VA personnel.
This bill also delivers critical resources to VA to ensure it can deliver timely access to services and benefits for all veterans eligible – including those already enrolled. The PACT Act provides VA with mechanisms to enhance claims processing and to increase the workforce. The bill also invests in VA health care facilities by authorizing 31 major medical health clinics and research facilities in 19 states.

Biden-Harris Administration Record of Action on Military Toxic Exposures
This historic legislation builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s existing efforts to address the harmful effects of environmental exposures affecting service men and women:

Established Presumption for Rare Respiratory Cancers: In April 2022, VA defined presumptive service connection for several rare respiratory cancers for certain veterans – a step that marked progress toward President Biden’s commitment to end cancer as we know it. Since this change, VA has been able to complete more claims for veterans and survivors involving a possible presumption of rare respiratory cancer. With VA taking steps to raise awareness of these benefits, we expect the number of claims to rise in the months ahead.

Processing Claims for New Presumptive Respiratory Conditions: In August 2021, VA began processing disability claims for asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis based on presumed exposure to particulate matter. Veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations and other areas and who developed these conditions within ten years of military service are now eligible to apply for disability benefits and access to VA health care. Since August, VA has completed 33,276 claims, granting over 25,000 veterans and their survivors benefits for one or more conditions, leading to over $93 million in retroactive benefit payments.

Raising Awareness of VA Benefits Related to Military Exposures: Many veterans remain unaware of their eligibility for benefits and services related to potential military exposures. Beginning in November 2021, VA launched a proactive campaign to inform and encourage veterans to file claims related to military environmental exposures.

Requiring Training for VA and Non-VA Providers: Health care providers and compensation and pension examiners sometimes do not have the training to understand or treat veterans’ exposure concerns. To address this challenge, VA directed compensation and pension providers and Veterans Health Administration clinicians to complete a training module on assessing deployment related to environmental exposures. VA is also encouraging all providers who care for veterans outside of VA through the Community Care Network contract to complete training on the TRAIN Learning Network, VA’s publicly available training site. Furthermore, VA employees and community care providers have been directed to utilize the Exposure Ed App to help providers provide information to veterans on health effects associated with certain exposures during military service. More information on the app is available here.

Implementing a Network of Specialized Providers and Call Center: Veterans with concerns about the health outcomes of military exposures experience inconsistent care to address these specific issues, especially outside of VA. Earlier this year, VA launched VET-HOME, The Veterans Exposure Team-Health Outcomes of Military Exposures. VA plans to hire health professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who will specialize in conducting patient assessments regarding the health effects of military exposures. By January 2023, VA expects to have a fully operational call center and network of experts to help veterans concerned about environmental exposure and provide consultative services to veterans in primary care clinics.

The video



PBS a deeper look at this bill

"Ain't this a bitch!" Jon Stewart fights for veterans

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 29, 2022

UPDATE

Worse than we thought as GOP members of the Senate celebrated blocking this bill!

The bill that would finally provide some justice to the men and women we sent to Afghanistan and Iraq, was stopped from passing yesterday by the same people that voted for it weeks ago, GOP members of the Senate!

I've seen a lot of crap in my day and that was over a lifetime. My Dad was 100% Korean War veteran and my husband is 100% disabled Vietnam veteran. I remember what it was like to fight the VA for what their service cost then and our families. I also remember the 40 years of fighting so that veterans and families could finally see their service honored.

I've seen political games played by both parties on all sorts of issues. I have never seen a good bill being blocked to take care of veterans. Surely, politicians prolonged the passage so they could get attention for themselves, whine, moan and complain like a toddler, but in the end, there were enough votes to pass it.

This time, They needed just 10 Republicans to step up so the bill could be voted on. Only five showed up to do the right thing for veterans. So what happened to the other 55 Republicans that voted on it before passing it?

The House passed the PACT Act by a 342-88 vote on July 13, about a month after the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 84-14.

They claim it was because the House tweaked it and they couldn't stand that. I mean, the same crowd that kept repeating they support veterans and their care should never be subjected to budget cuts, is now something they want to use to take a temper tantrum!

Ever since the beginning of this nation, the leaders asked men and women to risk their lives for the sake of this nation. And ever since they returned back to this nation and home and families, they were forced to fight the same leaders to be compensated for what their service did to them. What is the most reprehensible thing of all is when they were forced to fight for what the nation did to them while they were serving and risking their lives.

Vietnam veterans fought for PTSD to be covered and treated, and that was a little easier to take on since it was due to combat. They also had to fight for being treated and compensated for what Agent Orange, sent by the government did to them and their families. Gulf War veterans were forced to fight for care after whatever the cause was for Gulf War Syndrome. And now this! Yet another thing the nation they served did to them with burn pits!

AND NOW THEY HAVE TO HEAR THIS BULLSHIT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

This post went up in 2008!

Troops sick from burn pits urged to contact DAV

“Anyone out there who thinks they may have had a long-term health effect ... needs to file a complaint” with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Kerry Baker, DAV’s associate national legislative director.

Noting that it took Vietnam veterans 20 years to gain benefits for exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange, Baker said, “We don’t want to see these guys have to wait 20 years. We want to see Congress act right away.”

When will they do the right thing? When the American people demand it!

Watch the video and if you are not as angry as all these speakers are, don't ever say you support the troops or veterans with a straight face because the members of the GOP couldn't do the right thing when they had the chance, have been now seen for what they truly are and they are disgusting!

WATCH: Jon Stewart criticizes Republicans for voting down bill to increase care for veterans exposed to burn pits

PBS
Jul 28, 2022

“I’m used to the hypocrisy … but I’m not used to the cruelty,” Stewart said.

Former Talk show host turned veterans advocate, John Stewart joined a bicameral group of Democrats to call out Senate Republicans for failing to pass the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022.

In a speech riddled with strong language, Stewart criticized Republican senators for speaking in support of veterans, but then voting against the bill that would increase spending by more than $300 billion over the next decade and dramatically boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I’m used to the hypocrisy … but I’m not used to the cruelty,” Stewart said.

The bill would open up Department of Veterans Affairs health care to millions of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service even if they don’t have a service-connected disability. The bill also would provide new or increased disability benefits to thousands of veterans who have become ill with cancer or respiratory conditions such as bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The measure has the backing of the nation’s major veterans groups and underscores the continued cost of war years after the fighting has stopped.
read more here 

Warning: This video contains strong language.

If you have PTSD, Annie Kuster along with others, are on your side

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 23, 2022

When you have PTSD and discover others have it too, while you may be sorry they are a member of this club because of the price they paid to join it, it is helpful to know they understand you. The causes may be different but what it does strikes about a third of survivors. This is why peer support matters. That is what members of the House and Senate discovered after the Capitol was attacked on January 6, 2021.

Annie Kuster, along with other members, has been trying to do something about making life better for those with PTSD. She understands it and has not been ashamed to talk about what she survived. She has also been very vocal about how important getting help and support is.

Get yourself a tight-knit group of female friends, Kuster says 

She has been speaking out on PTSD for a long time.

U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster kept silent about the sexual assaults she had endured as a young woman for nearly 40 years. Concord Monitor On Tuesday night, the 59-year-old congresswoman from Hopkinton broke her silence to her husband, family and the world. Her hands clasped on the lectern on the House floor, Kuster launched into a speech detailing one of her most painful memories.

Kuster, along with other members of Congress, are talking about their struggles as well.
ABC 9 News

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long after most other lawmakers had been rushed to safety, they were on the hard marble floor, ducking for cover.

Trapped in the gallery of the House, occupying balcony seats off-limits to the public because of COVID-19, roughly three dozen House Democrats were the last ones to leave the chamber on Jan. 6, bearing witness as the certification of a presidential election gave way to a violent insurrection.

As danger neared, and as the rioters were trying to break down the doors, they called their families. They scrambled for makeshift weapons and mentally prepared themselves to fight. Many thought they might die.

“When I looked up, I had this realization that we were trapped,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger who served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. “They had evacuated the House floor first. And they forgot about us.”

Bound together by circumstance, sharing a trauma uniquely their own, the lawmakers were both the witnesses and the victims of an unprecedented assault on American democracy. Along with a small number of staffers and members of the media, they remained in the chamber as Capitol Police strained to hold back the surging, shouting mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump.

Kuster, D-N.H., was one of the first to be let out of the gallery on Jan. 6, escaping through the doors along with three other members just before the remaining lawmakers were locked inside. When Kuster’s group reached the hallway, a group of rioters was rushing toward them.

“We ducked into the elevator,” Kuster said. “And I said to this incredible policeman — I said, oh, my God, what if the elevator doors open, and they kill us? And I will never forget this moment ... he said, ‘Ma’am, I am here to protect you.’ And he was there to protect our democracy.”

NH Congresswoman reacts to January 6 primetime hearing

Jul 22, 2022

Rep. Annie Kuster says she believes the select committee hearings are changing the minds of many Americans

While some people may think this is not a big deal, the truth is, it is a huge one. So many lawmakers have been dealing with PTSD in their own lives and they understand all of us now. Maybe, just maybe, they'll push legislation through to address the help all of us need to heal. I know from where I sit, that it is hopeful to know, that people with the power to make our lives better know exactly what we're going through and what got them through their own battles.

88 GOP Members of House Voted Against Veterans Burn Pit Bill

U.S. House passes bill expanding health care, benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits

IOWA Dispatch

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill Wednesday to expand health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits overseas, sending the package back to the U.S. Senate after making a minor change.

Senators, who broadly support the landmark package, are expected to quickly clear the measure for President Joe Biden’s signature. The House vote was 342-88. (updated)

Biden, who has linked his son Beau’s death from a brain tumor in 2015 to exposure to burn pits, has repeatedly called on Congress to address the illnesses and deaths linked to toxic exposure. 

“What I found with my son, what I found with my friends, what I found with the generation of Vietnam: There’s this notion that you shouldn’t ask for anything,” Biden said in March while at a resource center in Fort Worth, Texas.

“You should be asking. You should be letting us know. You should let us know what is bothering you, what is the problem because we owe it to you,” Biden continued.

(read it here)

There were 12 Senators that voted against the Senate version sent to the House.

The American Independent

Despite the Senate's broad bipartisan support for the bill, 12 Republicans voted against advancing it:
Sens. Richard Burr (NC),
Bill Cassidy (LA),
John Kennedy (LA),
James Lankford (OK),
Mike Lee (UT),
Cynthia Lummis (WY)
Rand Paul (KY),
Mitt Romney (UT),
Dan Sullivan (AK),
Thom Tillis (NC),
Pat Toomey (PA),
and Todd Young (IN).

God is pro-choice

Kathie Costos

June 27, 2022

Your right to believe what you choose to was first given by God. If you think I'm wrong, then you don't know He gave you free will to make your own choices. I'll prove that below. The Founding Fathers also gave Americans the right to believe what we all choose. Again, I'll prove that below.

Begin with Adam and Eve
Genesis 2:16-17

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden

thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

They had the choice to do what they wanted to. There are many passages stating how all of us have the choice to follow or not. To do, or do not do, what was taught. There is nothing in the Bible that grants us the right to take that same right away from others. We will all answer for ourselves as to what choices we made, as well as why we made them.

John 1 12-13

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power to become

the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Galatians 5:13

13 You, my brothers, and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Look up more on your own but while the Bible covers punishments, you cannot ignore the fact that people had the right to decide for themselves!

The Founding Fathers granted us the right to use our God-given right.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

The Bill of Rights granted everyone the freedom of choice

Article the third... Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

All this means that what you believe is your choice and what others believe is their choice. Your faith does not have more power than anyone else. When you cheer seeing the rights of others taken away, you need to ask yourself if you would cheer if someone said you no longer had the right to worship according to your own choice? Would you want to see the doors of your church closed because a more powerful church did not follow the same doctrine as you choose to do? That is exactly what you are doing if you think you should have the right to take away from others that which you decide for yourself.

What about our rights to believe what we choose to believe?

Kathie Costos
June 26, 2022

This was supposed to be a nation where everyone could hold their own religious beliefs and be equally protected under the law. So how is it that the beliefs of the minority of the country, became the law all of us are forced to live with? They use what they believe to remove the same right of others to decide for themselves what they believe!

What about our rights to believe what we choose to believe? The question "who gave them the right to take away our rights" was answered Friday, June 24, 2022.

Why on earth should any of us have to believe what the pro-birthers choose to believe? Why should we have to bow down to their opinion over anything?  Aren't these the same people who supported what Trump did to the country and his moral perversions? He lied about everything, yet they believed. He lied about losing the election, but they violated the Constitution laws about the transfer of power because they didn't like the outcome and refused to believe the majority of the country found Trump unworthy to lead this nation. Justice Thomas's wife had been active in attempting to overturn the election, and yet, he was allowed to participate in hearing the case for Congress to obtain evidence regarding those involved in the efforts to overturn a lawful election. We've seen the result of their "moral" opinions.

So how is it that the rest of the people in this country are supposed to yield our own beliefs, our own faith, our own choices to them? We aren't!

People are fighting back!

Florida's new abortion law violates religious freedom, a synagogue's lawsuit says

NPR AP

"As such, the act prohibits Jewish women from practicing their faith free of government intrusion and this violates their privacy rights and religious freedom," says the lawsuit, filed Friday in Leon County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit adds that people who "do not share the religious views reflected in the act will suffer" and that it "threatens the Jewish people by imposing the laws of other religions upon Jews."

‘It’s important to fight’: US cities erupt in protest as Roe v Wade falls

The claim that pregnancy is a gift from God does not hold up. 

If pregnancy is a gift from God, then why are there so many with birth defects instead of perfect bodies?

If pregnancy is a gift from God, then why do miscarriages happen? Is He taking the gift back?

If pregnancy is a gift from God, then why would God give a man a female child to rape and then cause her to become pregnant with his child and her sibling?

If pregnancy is a gift from God, then why would He use a rapist to deliver it by force on a woman? Would He deliver a gift using rape?

If pregnancy is a gift from God, then why would He give it to some evil person He knows will abuse that child, yet refuse to give the gift to a woman who will cherish that child? Do they think God doesn't know the hearts and minds of all of us?

It is not the human form that is the Gift from God but it is the soul that lives within all those born. What we believe is a personal issue between us and God. 

This used to be a nation where all of us had the right to be free to choose our own beliefs. Now we have judges on the Supreme Court because they lied to Congress. There should be laws against them. Oh, wait, there are! One more reason as to why removing Republicans from office is necessary for the defense of freedom for the rest of us! That is the only way our rights will be restored and impeachment of the liars can happen.